Nut-lock.



No. 629,647. Patented July 25, I899.

H. BERSCHNEIDER.

NUT LOCK.

(Applicatwn filed May 20, 1899.)

(No Model.)

1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY BERSCHNEIDER, OF SUMMER HILL, PENNSYLVANIA.

NUT-LOCK.

srEoiFioATIoN forming part of Letters Patent No. 629,647, dated July 25,1899;

Application filed May 20,1899. Serial No. 717,656. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

I Be it known that I, HENRY BERSOHNEIDER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Summer Hill, in the county of Oambria and State ofPennsylvania, have in vented new and useful Improvements in Nut-Locks,of which .the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in nut-locks, the object being toprovide a nutlock which is simple in construction and which can bereadly applied and manipulated so as to release the nut without injuryto the parts; and the invention consists in the combination, with a boltof ordinary construction, of a nut having ratchet-teeth which extendacross the sides, a washer and locking-bar made of a single piece andhaving a spring member which projects from the washer so as to engagewith the ratchet-teeth of the nut, and means for holding the washeragainst rotation, as will be hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of anut-lock constructed in accordance with my invention, the same beingapplied to the fish-plate of a railroadrail. Fig. 2 is a plan View, therail and fishplates being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a perspective Viewof the combined washer and locking-bar; and Fig. 4 is a front elevation,the locking-bar being shown in section.

In the annexed drawings, A refers to a bolt which is of ordinaryconstruction, one end of the same being held' against rotation in theusual manner. The nutB is preferably hex: agonal, is of. the standardthickness, and the angles or corners extend across the entire sides ofthe nut, the faces being cut away, so as to provide indentationsor-ratchet-teeth b b. In forming the ratchet-teeth or grooves 19 theyare cut or formed in the nut so that there will be a flat portion ofcomparatively narrow width adjacent to the straight edge of theratchet-teeth, as shown at h, and on the other side, adjacent to theinclined portion I) of the ratchet-teeth, are wide flat faces 19 whichare on a line with the narrow fiat faces I), such faces being arrangedon opposite sides of the nut, so as to provide fiatsurfaces wit-h whichthe jaws of an ordinary wrench may engage without contacting with thestraight shoulders of the ratchet-teeth. This construction also providesa nut which can be readily turned bya wrench having fixed jaws which mayincline or converge toward each other. A nut thus constructed will haveone wide face I) opposite one of the narrow faces I), and the depressionor tion or washer 0, one end being slightly reduced and bent at rightangles toform a lug 0, while the other end is bent in an oppositedirection and slightly inward, so that it will have a spring tendency atan acute angle tothe plane of the face of the washer. One of the sidesof the spring-arms c is beveled or rounded, as shown in Fig. 4, so thatsaid rounded or inclined portion may readily ride over the ratchet-teethof the nut, and the end of the spring-arm is preferably formed into aneye 0 so that it can be readily grasped to hold the same out of contactwith the nut, especially when it is desired to remove the nut from thebolt.

In instances where the nut-lock is used in connection with fish-platesof railway-rails the fish-plates will have indentations or recesseswhich receive the lug c, and when such recesses are not provided and thewasher is used to bear against a wooden surface the end of the lug maybe pointed to readily enter the wood.

The internal diameter of the washer is considerably larger than theexternal diameter of the bolt, and as the nut is turned and contactswith the face of the washer the lug will act as a pivot, so as to swingthe washer on the lug and bring the spring-arm nearer to the bolt andface of the nut, it being obvious that as the nut is turned the arm willgive to act as a pawl and prevent the nut turning in an oppositedirection. To release the nut, the spring-arm may be drawn out of theratchet-tooth with which itengages, andwhen the nut has been given aturn sufficient to loosen it the washer can be swung upon the lug tobring the arm out of the path of the ratchet-teeth. Thedevicehereinbefore described is simple in construction, can be man- 2.In a nut-lock the combination with a bolt and a nut having ratchet-teethwhich extend across its sides, of a combined Washer and locking-bar, thelocking-bar having a face inciined on one side, the washer beingprovided with means for holding it against rotation.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto-set my hand in presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

HENRY BERSGIINEIDER.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH WEss, FRANCIS KURTZ.

